God listens to all prayers, even angry ones, pope says

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) — God “likes to argue with us,” especially when it is difficult to accept his will, Pope Francis said.

“Even this is a prayer! He likes it when you get angry and tell him what you feel to his face because he is a father!” the pope said Jan. 24 during Mass in the chapel of Domus Sanctae Marthae.

The day’s first reading, from the Letter to the Hebrews, said that Christ came in to the world saying, “Behold, I come to do your will, O God.”

Jesus’ “Here I am” to God, the pope said, echoes the words of important figures — such as Moses, Abraham, Elijah and Mary — who throughout the entire history of salvation expressed their willingness and submission to God’s will.

“This is Christian life: a ‘Here I am,’ a continuous ‘Here I am’ of doing the Lord’s will, one after the other,” the pope said. “It is beautiful to read Scripture, the Bible, to look for people’s answer to the Lord, how they responded.”

Some biblical figures, like Adam and Jonah, are examples that can help Christians reflect on whether they truly accept God’s will in their lives or “pretend to do the Lord’s will but only externally.”

People should ask themselves, “Do I hide” like Adam did? “Do I run away? Do I pretend? Or do I look the other way?” Pope Francis said.